


Planning the Future

by Fabrisse



Category: Jack Ryan & Related Fandoms, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-21
Updated: 2014-12-21
Packaged: 2018-03-02 16:45:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2819192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fabrisse/pseuds/Fabrisse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cathy has reached a point in her career where decisions need to be made.  This is how they do it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Planning the Future

**Author's Note:**

  * For [inlovewithnight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inlovewithnight/gifts).



He woke up beside her and found her staring at him.

"What?"

"You drool."

Jack laughed. "I'm sure I do. Did it wake you?"

"No." Cathy pulled his hand down to her abdomen. "She did." Jack felt a kick under his hand.

He grinned at her and pulled her close for a deep kiss. "Can we?"

Cathy's smile lit up the room. "That's how we got here in the first place."

***   
They'd hit the local deli for breakfast because Cathy was craving smoked sturgeon. She ordered it cooked in scrambled eggs with extra onions to make it safe to eat. Jack laughed when she moaned around the first mouth full.

"Seriously, Jack, nothing tastes better than fulfilling a craving." She flagged down the waiter and ordered some half sours to go with it.

"We need to make some decisions, you know." Jack took a bite of his pastrami benedict to give her time to think.

"I've had five offers since the article was published. Doctor Vyse thinks I'll probably get a few more over the next month."

"Is there one you really want and are holding out for?"

"No. And I know we have to consider your job, too."

"No, Cathy, we don't."

She glanced up at him sharply.

Jack continued, "Don't worry, I'm not quitting my job, but I'm an analyst. I can analyze just about anywhere."

"But Wall Street is the best location for you."

"I've had a couple of offers, too, recently. I can stay here, switch firms to make more money, but there are possibilities in other cities. And if they don't align with where you've had offers, then I can start applying for jobs like a normal person."

"In that case, I've had seven, well, technically, eight offers."

Jack peered at her. "Why is number eight eliminated?"

"Vancouver, Canada. I know that a foreign country adds whole levels of difficulty for you."

"Is it what you really want?"

Cathy took his hand, "No, Jack. I discarded it for lots of reasons. Your work potential was just one."

"Okay. So seven?"

"The other one I'd eliminated was Bascom Palmer in Miami."

"Aren't they the best in the country, maybe the world?"

"Yes. But they're in Miami, and I didn't know what that might mean for you."

"Cathy, if you're given a chance to work with the best…"

"Jack. Stop it. If I don't have to eliminate them for you, then they're still on the list, but they're toward the bottom."

"Really?"

"Really. I'm very interested in experimental surgical procedures and research. That's not their focus, although, of course, they do some of it. And I'd definitely be very junior there. I'd prefer somewhere that I could develop my own team."

"Okay then. So what's the top of your list?"

"Let's talk about some of the others first. How about a walk on the High Line?"

Jack smiled. "Should I get you some rugelach in case you need to snack?"

"Of course."

***   
Jack took her hand as they meandered along the park. "So tell me about your other offers."

"Keck Eye Institute, here in New York. They're one of the top ten, but… Jack, if your best future is to stay here in New York, I'll take it. I would have the ability to create a team."

"I heard that 'but.' Let's talk about some of the others before we come back to New York."

Cathy sighed and said, "Rugelach?"

Jack handed her a piece and waited for her to finish. "Other offers."

"Wills in Philadelphia. It's good, mostly for emergency work which is something I like. The one that might be best for you, other than New York, is the NIH in Bethesda. And I eliminated the offer I got in Los Angeles because they do a lot of plastic surgery."

"Fair enough. Why don't you sound enthusiastic about NIH?"

Cathy shrugged. "They specialize in epidemiology, not surgery."

Jack said, "And they're not in the top ten."

She rubbed her shoulder against his. "I do have a little bit of vanity."

"It's not vanity when it's been earned. Top choice, please."

"Johns Hopkins. It's one of the top three opthalmological institutes in the country. I'd have an opportunity to develop my own team and to teach, which I was shocked to find I wanted to do. Plus there's day care through the university for…" She pointed at her bump.

"Then take it, honey. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you."

Cathy tugged on his hand and they walked in silence for awhile.

"My biggest hesitation isn't you or your career, although it's definitely a big one."

Jack said, "We can discuss me later. What is it?"

"I don't want to live in the suburbs, and Baltimore is one of the most dangerous cities in the country."

"That just takes a little planning and research."

"What about you, though?"

"I end up with several good options, actually."

Cathy stared at him skeptically. "Really. In Baltimore."

"No, not in Baltimore. Wilmington, Delaware is one of the top areas of the country for financial services with several big international conglomerates basing their North American operations there. Plus, Harper's mentioned either moving me to DC to work with foreign lobbyists or the International Monetary Fund. Not one of those jobs would pay me less than I'm getting now, and it would go further in Baltimore. And if it's the IMF job, there's no Federal income tax to pay."

"But the commutes?"

"It's about thirty five minutes to DC and forty five minutes to Wilmington by train. We wouldn't even be boosting our carbon footprint."

Cathy still looked doubtful. "There are a couple of small hitches."

"Shoot."

"The first is they want me to start right away. Next month, so I can have some idea what to expect when I come back from maternity leave. The other is that I'll be on half pay during my maternity leave, though, in fairness, they don't have to pay me at all. The good news is they've promised me a nice bonus for any articles accepted to a peer-reviewed journal during that time."

Jack nodded. "Let's go home. I need to call Harper and review our lease."

"Are you certain?"

"Cathy, you have given me so much. This isn't a hardship. If that's the job that will make you happiest, then let's plan around it. Heaven knows my job doesn't allow for much security. Let's make sure your job will."

"Can we afford it?"

"Yes. If I take my stock options, we can probably buy a condo in Baltimore outright, if that's what we want. We may have to just see each other on weekends for a month or so, while I work out my time with the firm, but that's the only problem I can see."

She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Oh, Jack."

"Are you crying? Is it pregnancy hormones?"

Cathy pulled him toward the next exit. "Yes, I'm crying. No, it's not hormones, thank you very much. It's having you."


End file.
